‘It’s not Stanley Keane, he is on the DNA database?’ Janet again.
‘Yes he is and it’s not him,’ Kevin said.
‘Where is Keane?’ Gill said.
‘No sign.’ This from Mitch.
‘Time we paid Marcus Williams a visit, maybe Keane is staying there,’ Gill said.
‘Are you thinking Keane might have shot Lydia and Victor?’ said Janet.
‘The items recovered, the gloves, were at his address, we can link him to Shirelle and the drug business, he’s a known associate of Williams but… the DNA doesn’t fit.’ Gill felt boxed in; the evidence they acquired kept weakening the case rather than supporting their suspicions. ‘Sticking with Tandy,’ she went on, ‘if he is our killer, what’s the likely sequence of events? Starting with his release.’
‘We know he went to the George Inn for the EBA meeting and that the Perry twins were there,’ said Janet.
‘And he met with Neil Perry at Bobbins on Tuesday,’ said Rachel, ‘possibly to supply the weapon. He gets chucked out by his missus on Friday when he’s cheering about the first shooting. He takes his gear, the firearms, clothes, the gloves and stuff, to Keane’s.’
‘At some point he gets the gun back from the Perrys,’ Janet said, ‘he acquires a can of barbecue lighter fuel and he goes to the warehouse, shoots the victims, sets the fire. Returns to Keane’s.’
‘What then?’ said Gill. ‘Where is the gun now? And where did he get the lighter fuel? It’s a plausible narrative as far as it goes but at the moment it’s a fairy story. We need much more.’ The lack of CCTV in the area was another obstacle, no record of who was going to and from the warehouse or on the approach roads.
‘We have no motive-’ Janet said.
‘Unless Tandy wanted to make a name for himself with the Bulldogs. Bit of ethnic cleansing,’ said Mitch.
‘Or there’s some drugs war simmering, something we’ve not uncovered,’ said Lee.
‘However,’ Gill held up her hands, ‘motive is the least of our concerns. Janet and Rachel, you carry on checking for any sightings of Tandy with the neighbours and then at Keane’s. Mitch and Lee, pay a visit to Williams, we get a search warrant.’
Her phone rang. ‘DCI Murray.’
‘Alan here, from ballistics.’
‘Go on,’ she said.
‘Bullets recovered from the Manton Road address, we’ve run a comparison and they match those used in all three murder cases.’
Gill felt dizzy. ‘All of them?’
‘Yes, one weapon, six bullets, all fired from the same gun. The one you’re looking for,’ he said, emphasizing the point.
‘Thanks, Alan. The missing gun,’ she told the team, ‘it was used in last night’s attack at Tandy’s house.’